Teachers with the Saint Paul Federation of Educators and the Minneapolis Federation of Teachers (MFT) announced their intent to strike in a Feb. 24, announcement. This includes both teachers and Education Support Professionals. Filed with the state of Minnesota’s Bureau of Mediation, the intent to strike was authorized by the board in a vote counted Feb. 17 and provides a legally-mandated10-day warning to schools districts about a possible strike.
Both unions made similar demands to their districts. They want to limit class sizes, wage rises, and better support for students’ mental health. According to reporting from Minnesota Public Radio, the districts have said that the teachers’ demands are not feasible due to budget shortfalls. The state currently has a surplus budget of $7 billion that could be used to fund education.
“Just over a year ago, the MFT chapter first met with MPS leadership and began the current round of contract bargaining in the hopes of laying the foundation for big and needed changes in how we function as a school system,” said Daniel PerezMFT Local 59 teacher and bargaining team member, pictured at a press conference outside of Bureau of Mediation. “We are quickly losing our breaking point, we are losing dozens of educators who we seek to retain, we are losing hundreds of students, we are losing faith in our district and our state and national leaders to deliver on the many promises and commitments they make to public education.”
Ninety-seven percent of the teachers98% of Education Support Professionals with MFT 59 voted for a strike, which led to the board voting on authorization. Seventy-eight percent of SPFE membersVoted in favor of a strike.
Nearly 80% are students of color St. Paul Public School District70% of the population lives in Minneapolis Public Schools. Minnesota’s 63,000 teachers are only 4% BIPOC. The district shared data in 2018 which showed that 17% of teachers were BIPOC. were teachers of colorBIPOC teachers accounted for 30% of new teachers in 2020. Both unions are fighting for their protections, demanding that teachers of color — most of them new teachers — be protected from seniority-based layoffs.
MFT Local 59’s demandsInclude a living wages for everyone Education Support Professional, the recruitment and retention of teachers of color, mental health support including a school social worker and school counselor at every location every day, a drop in the school-to-psychologist and school-to-student ratio, a decrease in class size, professional time for ESPs, a plan for educating students in quarantine due to COVID-19, and competitive compensation.
“We have a lack of teaching staff, a lack of support staff. It can literally be that a kid does not get fed because there are not enough staff members there to feed them,” said Ma-Riah Roberson-Moody, first vice president of the Education Support Professionals chapter of MFT Local 59.
Data from MFT Local 59 shows that Minneapolis Public Schools has lost over 640 educators in just 18 months. This includes educators as well as Education Support Professionals.
Similar to MFT Local 59’s demands, SPFE Local 28’s demands include an improved class size limit, increasing mental health supports for students, additional support for special education students, “recognizing, supporting and prioritizing BIPOC students and educators,” a living wage for educational assistants, and a fair wage and increase in benefits for all educators.
“We have high school teachers now reaching over 160 students, and you want us to be real and relevant and relational and rigorous, you show me,” said one SPFE educator in a videoThe union releases the documents.
The strikes in both districts are set to take place on March 8th. The unions and the district can reach a deal until March 7. Both districts are currently working on child care alternatives to students in case of strikes.
SPFE Local 28The strike was last held in March 2020, and lasted for three days. MFT Local 59 has not had a strike in over a year since 1970, when it lasted 14 days. MFT Local 59, SPFE Local 28 and SEIU 284, which include Minneapolis Public Schools food workers are all voting to strike March 2.
Minnesota educators are also waiting to hear back from the government on a commitment they made. Minnesota state legislatureIt was likely that this bill would distribute some form hazard pay to frontline workers to teachers and other groups last year. A bill was recently passed by the Minnesota House, DFL-backed, that would distribute $1,500 to every eligible frontline worker, including teachers, drawing on the state’s historic surplus, but the GOP-backed Senate has yet to pass similar legislation.
